The Muggles of Hogwarts
by ronk77
Summary: They were common muggles. Nothing more, nothing less. Other than the fact that some of them loved the HP series, that was the truth. Even they knew that they were books. But if that was true, then why were 13 owls swooping to each of these so-called muggles, bearing a letter that told that what they had believed all their lives was actually the exact opposite of the truth?
1. The Owl in the Window

They waited longingly for the year to come, anticipating and dreading it all at once. All but one minute left, and isn't it funny, they thought, that so much can supposedly change after that one minute? It's not a physical change, no, but a spiritual one. From that moment on, it won't be 2016, but rather 2017, and someone could be a year older, and some lucky woman might find out she's pregnant, and someone could begin a new life or make a life changing decision. Someone could be born and someone could die. Magic could be real, fairies exist and Martians have just landed in front of the neighbor's front door. Anything is possible.

But for now, they were all just 13 11 year olds, just waiting for that minute to pass. They counted down, muttering the numbers- 60, 59, 58...

Before long, they reached ten.

10…9…8…7…

An owl appeared in the distance-but as no-one saw it, they paid it no heed.

6…5…4…

Before long it appeared that it was not only one owl, but 13 of them. All beautiful and pristine, if slightly damaged by the onslaught of snow.

3…2…1…

And then, just as they were all about to burst out in a cry of "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" ,a loud bang was heard from the direction of the window. All 13 heads turned to the window, where an owl had crashed into the window. A petite girl with brown curls that were flecked with red and gold hurried to open it. The 13 owls flew in, amidst gasps and cries.

"Is this some sort of a practical joke, Jess?" asked her one of the other girls skeptically.

"How could _I_ have done this, Jordan?" she replied.

The owls circled the room once and landed on the table. In one fluid motion, they stretched out their right leg, to which a letter was tied.

"Holy mother of God…" muttered a boy.

"Is that what I think it is?" said another one.

"Guys," said the girl called Jess breathlessly, "look for one with your name on it. I think you'll find one."

They all scrambled to the owls and found one with their name on it as predicted. Each of them tore open the letter. Some gaped openly; some had barely concealed shock on their faces. Some reactions were amusing at best, some were downright scary. Jordan, for example, was staring at her letter, skimming through it over for the fifteenth time. Another girl called Jackeline looked like she was about to start screaming bloody murder with joy. Jess was reading the paper quickly, her eyes widening and her mouth falling open with shock more with each sentence. And no wonder, for this is what it said:

 _ **HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY**_

 _Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall (Order of Merlin, First Class, Award Winner of Special Services to School and Society, War Hero, etc.)_

 _Dear Miss Silver,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1_ _st_ _.We await your owl by no later than 31_ _st_ _July._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Neville Longbottom Deputy Headmaster_

 _PS- I know this comes as a bit of a shock, but it's a long story and quite confusing as well. Headmistress McGonagall will be coming over in about a minute and three seconds to explain everything to you. I hope this is a convenient time._

They all looked up at one another with shocked expressions.

"What the-"began Jordan.

But she never got to finish her sentence. At that precise moment, a resounding crack echoed around the room. Another pop sounded, and on that final note, the Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, professor extraordinaire, appeared in front of them.

 **And that is it for this prologue! Please read, review, and follow if you liked this story and want to hear more** **I hand out virtual cookies to you all, thanks for reading and I hoped you liked it and want to read more! Sorry for the shortness of words in this chapter, it was much longer but I decided to skip the intro about who everyone is, 'cause I didn't like the way I wrote it. Maybe one day I'll add an accompanying one-shot for this story once it's finished. I promise there's much more to hear from the other characters whose names I did not write. The second chapter is on its way to you now! So thanks a lot, this is my first fanfic ever posted (YAY, FINALLY!) sooooo see ya!**

 **Ronk7**


	2. Quite the Loud Explanation

**OK, so first things first- I am SO SORRY it took me this long to update. The new school year started and I had around 3-4 big tests\quizzes\reports\things of that variety per week (I go to a very competitive school). As such, this will probably be a long update- and by long I mean 2 chapters, with the second being much longer than the first. Hope this makes up for my absence!**

 **Secondly, I thought about it and realized you might be confused- 13 main characters are kind of hard to keep track of (and it's hard for me as well because I want every character to stand out in his\her own way, so you're not alone there ;-) ) and because of that here is a list of the characters' names. If you ask what age they are please stop reading this right now and never let yourself be seen in the HP section of this site again until you have reread the whole Harry Potter series.**

 **On that cheery note, the characters are, as follows:**

 **Jessica Ivy Silver**

 **Jackeline Ethanie Thatcher**

 **Jordan Ashley King**

 **Katherine Michelle Baker**

 **Nicholas Leon Brooks**

 **Jonathan Carl Lewis**

 **Sapphire Britney Williams**

 **Sophie Giselle Abernathy**

 **Maja Elaine Andersen**

 **Gia Holly Johns**

 **Caroline Luna Lopez**

 **Lauren Sara Woodrose**

 **Grace Victoria Carter**

 **Todd James Caster**

 **Next thing I have to say is that, until Hogwarts, if I manage, I will be doing two or three POV's per chapter since I want you to get the general feel of each character. I f I don't manage to do so, sorry, but I'll definitely try my best!**

 **And finally, I'm not too happy with this chapter. It's not my best writing and is mostly described in a "so and so did this and so and so did that" type of way, which is sadly how it's going to be most likely until we get to Hogwarts. However, I might be a bit overtly critical towards myself so read and review if you liked it! Ideas are welcome, and you can PM me if you'd like.**

 ***Also,** annhoopoe **,** **thank you for your recommendation, however this story is going to be much longer than 2000 words, although I am very grateful you thought of me!**

 **So without further ado- let's continue with the fanfic!**

Sapphire

"What the ever-loving HELL is going on?!"

The woman- McGonagall, I think her name was? - eyes Gracie sternly over her spectacles. "Do not swear at me, Miss Carter. It is not permitted at my school, and there is no need for it here either."

Gracie just gapes at her in reply. "How did you-"

"Simple tracking spell, you'll figure it out soon enough, brains like yours," said McGonagall, effectively cutting her off. "Now-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" says Jess. "You're Professor Minerva McGonagall?"

McGonagall blinks at her. "Well yes, Miss Silver, that's the general idea."

"And you're a real witch?"

"For 89 years now and counting."

"And this isn't a prank?"

McGonagall snorts derisively. "What reason would an old lady who wasn't a witch randomly appear in front of 13 eleven-year-olds just to play a prank? And how would I appear here exactly? I wasn't aware Muggles knew how to Apparate yet…"

"Oh my god," breathes out Jackeline. "She's effing real… This is really happening…"

"Hey, lady!" said Jordan. "You haven't showed us any proof!"

McGonagall snorts again. "And my appearance here was what? A trick?"

"Maybe!" challenges Jordan, raising her chin to look at McGonagall in the eyes.

"Very well then," replies McGonagall. "I'll prove my truthfulness to you. I suppose, since you were so willing, you'd like to be my volunteer?" Without waiting for an answer, she said "Lovely." Briskly, she pulled out her "wand" (or so she calls it) and was about to say something (I suppose that'll be whatever idea of a spell this crazy woman thinks exists) until she saw the fear in Jordan's demeanor. "Don't worry, Miss King, I won't hurt you," she said gently, smiling (for some reason I'm a bit hard pressed to believe that). "In fact, I think you might very well enjoy this."

"Wha-" began Jordan, but at that exact moment, McGonagall waved her wand, a sort of a combination of a swish and a flick, and said "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Immediately, Jordan began rising steadily in the air. "Whoa!" she shrieked with delight. "This is amazing!" Up, up ,up she went- until she hit her head on the ceiling.

"Ow!" cried Jordan, rubbing the back of her head. Then she smiled brightly. "That was _awesome!_ Can I get back down now though?"

"Why, certainly," said McGonagall with a sort of glint in her eye that I didn't like. She slashed her wand quickly through the air and suddenly, Jordan wasn't floating above us anymore; she was falling.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" she screamed, and I screwed my eyes shut- I love you Jordie, but I can't stomach even the mere sight of blood and you know it. Yeah, yeah, 'not hurt her' my arse. If this is what regularly happens to kids at Hogwarts (whatever that is), well, let's just say she's not making a great impression as a safety insuring Headmistress.

Suddenly, I realized that the screams have stopped and that giggling filled the room- Jordie's giggling. I hesitantly screwed one of my eyes open and peered at her from behind my parted fingers. She was floating down back towards us gently, like a feather. I removed my fingers and opened both my eyes wide, as awed as the rest of the group, while Jordan floated back down onto her mattress. She bounced back up to her feet. "That was _so cool!_ " she exclaimed, eyes bright. "Can I learn how to do that?"

"Well, at Hogwarts-"began McGonagall, but I cut her off. This has gone on long enough.

"Hold up one second!" I say. McGonagall turns to me in surprise. "Who says I- or we, for that matter- want to go? And how is this possible? Oh, and Jess- Jackeline- you know this old bat?"

" _Don't call her that!_ " shrieks Jess at me, being physically restrained by Jackie to stop her from flinging herself at me. "This woman has been through more than you could possibly imagine! Don't you _dare_ insult her!"

"Well, excuse me if I don't take a particular fondness for random people appearing in front of me!" I retort hotly, folding my arms across my chest.

"No, Jess is right," says Jack quietly, in a voice that seems to be concealing both barely suppressed anger and joy. "You shouldn't insult her. And as for your question, we knew she existed, of course, she's from Harry Potter, but up until-"she checked her watch- "roughly 15 minutes ago, we weren't aware she really existed."

"Harry POTTER?" I demand. "What does he have to do with anything? And wait a second…" I say suspiciously. "' _Weren't aware she really existed?'"._

"Yes, about that…erm, well…" says Jack, looking weakly at Crazy Lady (as I've oh-so affectionately named her). "Care to explain since when you're alive?"

"SHE'S BACK FROM THE EFFING DEAD?!" scream Katherine, Maja, Nick, and Gia.

"God, no!" says an extremely annoyed voice I identify as Johnathan. "She's a witch, a real one, and she's giving us the opportunity to learn at Hogwarts, which is a magical school! So will you all shut the HEEL UP and _LISTEN_ to what she has to say?!"

There's a small silence following his rare outburst. He's usually quiet enough, by which I mean that he does talk (and a lot too, especially if he's around his friends), only his voice is a bit quieter than anyone else's here- although the that doesn't mean that the things he says are of lesser importance, in fact rather the opposite. He almost never really raises his voice and when he does it's usually for a short period of time when he's really, _really_ mad (which doesn't happen often). He's sweet and hilarious and smart and admittedly quite cute- and I may or may not have a crush on him.

(Hey, you never heard that-ever- kapish?).

"Jonathan," says Nick, "I'll shut up, but I have 2 questions before that that are relevant to Professor McGonagall."

"By all means, Mr. Brooks," says Crazy Lady, who has been oddly quiet throughout this whole exchange.

Nick looks at her for a long moment. "Nope, never getting used to you knowing my full name." he says decisively. "So anyways, first of all- who here knows this fine lady?"

I roll my eyes. Nick is always like that when he's nervous- all fancy and idiotic and really quite stupid. Looking around, I see 9 people have raised their hands- Jackie, Jonathan, Sophie, Jordan, Jess, Carol, Lauren, Todd, and Grace.

"Wow, you all knew a person who can appear wherever at will and you never thought to tell me?" jokes Nick weakly.

"Well, if you ever thought to read Harry Potter-" begins Jonathan (oh, right. They always fight about that. Blimey, this isn't going to be pretty…)

However, instead of responding to the provocation Jonathan has so gladly offered, as Nick is wont to do, he sighs. "I'm not going to fight with you on this one now, Johnny," he says tiredly. "And as for my second question…" he says, turning to Crazy Lady, "how?"

McGonagall sighs. "Thank you, Mr. Brooks, I can now explain. So, this is my story…"

Grace

You know, I have this inexplicable feeling that I've seen everything now.

Now, you might be thinking 'The F, this girl is 11, what does she know other than fractions?'

Well bro, you can shut your face, because how many times do you get 89-year-old ladies appearing in front of you bearing a letter that was delivered by an owl declaring that you're a witch?

(Yeah, that's what I thought).

We're all sitting in a circle, cross-legged, although McGonagall isn't- I suppose she's too proper for that- instead settling for standing in the front of the room, like we were in class.

"Many years ago- roughly 19 years ago, in fact- before you were born- a war took place. That war was the biggest war known to Wizardkind and had we not won that war; neither I nor you would have been alive today.

That war was fought against a cruel dictator and his followers- Lord Voldemort. He is now, quite obviously, not among the living-" she coughed then, and I could have sworn I heard her say 'and good riddance too' (apparently I wasn't alone on that one, because behind me Jess and Jackie are sniggering and I could practically _hear_ Johnny smirk)- "and he was defeated at the hands of one Harry Potter.

After rebuilding and fixing the damage that Lord Voldemort had so carelessly wreaked, which happened around an year later, Harry and his friends had went for a night out after a long day of work." She snorted, as though she could not believe someone would be so frivolous as to _enjoy_ himself. " An old school rival of his, Draco Malfoy, happened to be in the same establishment they were in. He challenged him to a sort of drinking game- the specifics are, to this day, unclear- and Harry accepted. I believe that were they both of sound mind and body at that particular moment, neither would have thought of acting as they did, but as was the case, they weren't. Harry eventually did finish the challenge bestowed upon him, but the end result was him getting very, _very_ drunk.

Now, at the time, a Muggle had somehow wandered into The Leaky Cauldron- today it is known that someone meant for that to happen and the person who arranged that had meant for the destruction of the world we had just worked so hard to rebuild- but anyways, she wandered over and started talking to Harry Potter. When she said she did not know him, Harry (in his drunken state) decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to relay his whole life story to her. She thanked him and left, and for a while, everything seemed fine-or at least so it looked. Harry did not remember anything from that night, and as such, nobody knew exactly what occurred.

It was only when the first book came out that we realized we had a big problem."

"Oh, no," said Maja, smacking her forehead with her palm.

"Indeed, Miss Andersen. We couldn't have Muggles noticing us- and they would had we not hidden ourselves better." She stopped then and sighed.

"And so the hard decision was made to cut off most contact with the Muggle World, to the extent that no Muggleborn witches or wizards have entered our world since that time."

"WHAT?!"

"We had no other choice. We couldn't risk exposure and however hard it was for us to do s, we had to, and so it was done. We did not take out the Muggleborns that were already there, but we did not allow any to enter anew."

A ringing silence followed her words; so quiet I could practically hear Jess's brain whirring away behind me. I suppose that's not new (Ok, so I don't suppose- I know) however what is new is that I can hear everyone else's around me as well, including mine. God knows we're no geniuses, (well, I suppose some of us are), but- oh, well. It doesn't matter. I suppose that's what magic does to you.

But wait a second…

"Erm, Professor?" I ask hesitantly. Her head snaps around towards me, and I am immediately stricken by the fact that this definitely no Maggie Smith- she's got piercing green eyes that look as if they could cut you, for one thing, and is shorter than her for another. Her hair is darker as well, I think- like bittersweet chocolate.

"Yes, Miss Carter?" she asks, and I am snapped out of my thoughts as to Minerva McGonagall's physical appearance.

"Well if you cut off all contact with Muggles and Muggleborns alike, then why are you here?"

For the first time since she got here, McGonagall actually smiles. "I am here because we have decided the time is ripe for another attempt at contact with the Muggle World. The 13 of you are, first and foremost, not just Muggles. You 13 are, hopefully, witches and wizards of Hogwarts."

Quite obviously restraining a huge grin, Johnny pipes up behind me. "Hopefully?"

"Well if you'll consent to be, of course," she replies. "The term, I believe, is 'lab mice'. We- the Wizarding World- need you to join us for these 7 years of your education to see if you have a positive influence on our world. If indeed you do, we shall happily open our gates to all Muggleborns and resume contact with the Muggle World as usual- although I would like to point out that it's not that we cut ourselves off completely, just mostly. The drastic change was not allowing Muggleborns to enter- and back to my original point, if we see that a positive influence is yet to be had after these 7 years of your time there and\or that we have greater risk of exposure, we will not allow Muggleborns to enter again and revert back to our original-our current- state."

She stops then, looking each and every one of us in the eye. I am gobsmacked, shocked still beyond belief- the fate of an entire world rests upon my shoulders, mine and those of my friends. I should be refusing, I should be turning this down- isn't that the most logical thing to do in this situation? And yet I still think that I could do this, I am sure and confident in my abilities, at least in this. When I think about it, why not, really?

And behind me the voice of Jess is echoing my thoughts, closing in: "'How ironic, the mighty soldier relying upon a child to kill that which he cannot…"

Just beside me I hear Johnny shift a little in his place, then stand up. He walks straight towards McGonagall, a sluice of an 11 year old boy, and extends one of his hands to her.

"So…" he starts conversationally, although we'd all have to be blind not to notice his absolute excitement, "…where do I sign up?"

 **That is the second chapter! I'm sorry it was short and I'm sorry it's not the best, but I tried and I think that's good enough. So R &R if you liked it, I hope you enjoyed yourself! BTW, the quote that Jess used was from The Inheritance Cycle series, which I love. Also, in response to my earlier note, the next chapter will be uploaded tomorrow probably (Israeli time) because it's pretty late where I live and I'm still in my school clothes (charming image). I hope that'll happen, and other than that, that is it! Good night to you all and thanks for reading! **

**ronk7**


	3. Cats and Rockets

**So I don't break my promises, amiright? Of course not! As I have promised; so it shall be, one new chapter for thee. Enjoy!**

 *** Yes, I'm aware it's late. I feel so super bad about that, but hey- blame the surprise concert rehearsal that took 6 hours away from my typing time- plus this is a short chapter, just 1000 words, because it was with the trip to Diagon Alley but then it was close to 7000 words which is kind of long and I wanted to post a chapter already for you guys, so there you have it!**

 ****BTW, I noticed I had a few typos last chapter. Sorry about that, I'll correct that in the near future with more chapters. Now enjoy!**

Jonathan 

Cats and rockets flying to space and cat is half human and cat wanders into superpowered society and nothing makes sense and-

Sorry, forgot myself for a moment there. Or maybe I found myself.

Hmm.

Perhaps a bit of both.

Ah well.

I've been lying in bed for the past half hour doing nothing but staring at the wall adjacent to me and thinking. The obvious reason for that would be-

"OI JOHNNY, WAKE UP, WE'RE GOING TO DIAGON ALLEY!"

-yeah, that's why.

"I'M AWAKE, IDIOT!" I yell back at my oh-so charming brother. I hear him laugh and I shake my head; we're all so charismatic, the four of us.

Yeah, I've got three brothers: one older than me by a year who is the lovely bloke who yelled at me earlier, and two younger 5-year-old brothers who are twins.

However, back to my original point (although I suppose that would depend on the theory that I had one at all), then, yeah, we're off to Diagon Alley today! 7 months have passed since I got the most amazing news of my life, 7 agonizing, _glorious_ months- glorious because I of the news themselves, of course, but agonizing because we could not tell anyone of our situation.

We continued school as usual, of course, and yet the elation that held us was so all consuming that I swear I was skipping half the time. I spent most of my time daydreaming about Hogwarts, rereading Harry Potter, rewatching Harry Potter, going through all Harry Potter facts known to man, reading up on spells, and being a Harry Potter freak (along with the rest of my friends who were going) in general. It was hard to continue to maintain interest in my studies as well- the muggle ones, that is- and I was hard pressed to explain why that was to the rest of my Muggle friends. I avoided all questions and was hopefully convincing enough. I let them believe that I was just excited about going to a new school- because yeah, that was our excuse. We spread the word that we were going to some secretive, fancy, private boarding school in Scotland- please imagine our teacher's face when she realized around half her class had managed to get in somewhere drastically better than the local middle school, where it is a known fact that all the kids get routinely beaten up and I swear they're growing drugs out of the football field- but anyways, we told them (our class and our friends) that we got a full scholarship to said school because we are apparently "extraordinarily intelligent"- which, oddly enough, wasn't that far from the truth.

"You all are quite intelligent, even though school results don't always show it for some of you," said McGonagall when we asked why they picked us specifically. "We also thought to pick a tightly knit group of friends as well, mainly so you don't turn on one another, as unity is one of the most important things in a group, and this was the result."

I do not think I will ever forget that day, no matter what will be the outcome of these 7 years we have been so graciously granted.

After I had stood up and said I agree, of course, Jackie and Jess- never to be outdone- stood up with me and said that they would absolutely love to go to Hogwarts and and that they were sure that the rest of the group agrees.

And _that,_ of course, was when all flipping hell broke loose.

Each of us had something to say, although admittedly most of said things (no pun intended) were the same: Jess, Jack, Jordie, Nick, Sophie, Carol, Laurie, Grace, Todd, Katherine and I all said we agreed on the spot. Maja, Sapphire, and Gia, however, took a bit more convincing- although Maja was the first to relent to our endless pleading. In the end, Sapphire and Gia all sighed and agreed, (though for some reason Sapphire was much quicker to agree when she realized I was totally set on going. Dunno what I should make of that).

After all that was finished, McGonagall cleared her throat and said, with an accompanying flick of her wand towards the door, "Mr. Silver, no need to eavesdrop, it's rather rude and it's obvious you want to come in and listen. By all means."

The door opened to reveal Jess's father, a half proud yet half guilty look on his face. "I won't even ask how you knew that."

"Dad!" shrieked Jess, hugging him. After a few seconds, she let go and smacked him lightly on the stomach. "You _knew_?! You knew and you didn't tell me?"

"Sorry, sweetie, but I was sworn to secrecy by the person right in front of you," he replied.

"And why is- oooh," she said, grinning again.

"What?" asked Sapphire.

"Do you really think my parents wouldn't have noticed all the racket we made here?" laughing at her dumbstruck face. "And you put a Muffliato on my siblings, didn't you?" she asked, addressing McGonagall.

"I most certainly did," agreed McGonagall, looking distinctly happier now that we had all agreed to her plan. "And if I may continue?"

"Oh!" said Jess, disentangling herself from her father and sitting back down on her mattress.

"Very well. Now, as you may or may not have noticed, with your letter came a school supply list, along with the dress code at our school. I'm assuming you have no magical money?" When we all shook our heads, she continued "Very well then. In Gringotts, there is a division dedicated to exchanging Muggle money to magical and vice versa. Each Galleon is worth five pounds, I believe, and you should have no trouble exchanging them. As for the rest of your parents tomorrow- I'm assuming they'll be coming to pick the rest of you up- if you wouldn't mind having them come over for tea, Mr. Silver, so that I can properly explain everything?"

"Sure," said Mr. Silver, shrugging nonchalantly. "It's no bother."

"Good." said McGonagall. "I do believe that's all then! I look forward to your stay at Hogwarts. Train leaves September 1st from platform 9 ¾ - just run through the wall between 9 and 10- and your ticket is in the envelope. I will come tomorrow- that is, today- around 11:30. Is that comfortable for you?" she asks, gesturing towards Jess's dad. He just nods calmly. "Good. I will see you then." With a nod and a swish of her emerald robes, she was gone.

She did indeed come at 11:30 precisely that day, and let me tell you:

The look on my parents face was _beyond_ priceless.

I still chuckled at the memory, every time.

But today is the day! Today we shall go to Diagon Alley, and I will be able to (finally) die happy.

...that wasn't too dramatic, was it?

 **Next up- Diagon Alley! Hope you liked it, R &R if you did. I'll see you next time!**


	4. Of Alleys and Confessions

**So…**

 **Jonathan-desu, please don't kill me. You knew this was coming. It had to happen at some point. And all other readers who don't know to who the F I'm talking to and what about, lemme just say that that was foreshadowing- Jonathan-desu's name isn't as misleading as you might think.**

 **Also, if you noticed the 'The Color Of Magic' reference in the scene with Jonathan's wand, I applaud you. Now enjoy!**

Jess

Is this really my life?

I mean…

 _Damn._

Apparently I'm a witch- no _way_ am I getting over that- and I'm one of the supposedly precocious 13 that has actually been accepted. The fate of an entire world rests upon my shoulders, mine and those of my friends- resting quite comfortably, I might add, as it has around 7 years. Oh, and to top it all off, I, Jessica Ivy Silver, am going to Hogwarts.

Freakin _Hogwarts_.

 _Sheer ecstasy_ is the only way to describe it.

The last few months have been _agonizing,_ as Johnny would say, but so filled with happiness I swear I could explode. And today the adventure officially begins- although when I think about it, it began the moment I first opened a book.

Yes, folks, that's right: my first stop today is the one, the only- Diagon Alley!

(Cue excited shrieking).

My father, mother, and sister are accompanying my friends and I. My brother has been cloistered away to a baby-sitter: at 3 years old he can blab quite a lot and we can't really take that risk. We'll meet up at Leadenhall Market and from there it's up to us- the kids- to figure out where the Leaky Cauldron is, as the adults can't really. My father is a bit jealous, as admittedly he's almost as big a fan as I am. However, he does say that he's proud of me and that he's sure I'll do well, which (coming from someone who's quite bitter) is a definite accomplishment.

-0000000-0000000-0000000-00000000-00000000-00000000-

"OK, so please try to be discreet, guys, just call us all over if you find it and don't go crazy when you do. Is that clear?" asks Mrs. Carter (Nika's mum). We all nod earnestly. She sighs laughingly, shaking her head at us."Alright then, you may go. Off you go then, what are you waiting for?"

We all split up into various groups, and it isn't long before I hear Carol call us, standing under a sign that's much too familiar.

"Mum, this is it!" I say excitedly. "Can you see it yet?"

"I don't…" she says, blinking a few times. A look of recognition crosses her face, replacing her bewildered one. "Where in God's name did this come from?"

I didn't need any more confirmation. "Come on then!" I say, pulling her in by the hand. I can see that most of the parents are in similar positions, and I would have laughed had I been less nervously excited.

The Leaky was full and flourishing, as it should have been, and I was happy to see someone I recognized, even if it was by mental image alone.

"That's Hannah Abbot- well, Longbottom, that is," I hear Nick whisper to Gia and Todd and I smirk- I can see that my knowledge of the Wizarding World that I had bestowed upon them had not gone amiss.

"Excuse me," said Lauren politely once we reach the bar.

The pretty witch turned around to us with a smile. "Yes, how may I help you?"

"We were just wondering if you knew from where we can enter Diagon Alley?"

Her eyes widened. "Merlin," she breathed out. "You're the Muggleborns, aren't you?"

"Well, we have names as well, but overall, yes," interjects Nick, earning himself a slap upside the head from Mr. Brooks. I snicker and return my attention to the conversation at hand.

Thankfully, Hannah seemed not to have heard him. "Thank you so much for agreeing to help us," she said, crushing Lauren in a hug.

"You're very welcome, thank you," said Lauren breathlessly, straightening her shirt. "As for how to get into the Alley, though? I mean, we know we need to tap bricks and all, but we don't have wands yet."

"Oh- of course!" replied Hannah. She opened the door to the bar and exited, heading towards the back. "If you'll follow me, please," she called behind her, and we hasten to follow.

In the back there were a few large dustbins surrounded by a tall, angular brick wall. Hannah drew her wand and said "Pay attention, please, as you'll have to go back this way later. We all nodded and leaned in closer as she tapped her wand, starting from a chipped brick right in the middle, and continuing in a certain formation of bricks, finishing with a double tap on the last brick. The bricks parted then, to reveal the one thing I never thought I would live to see.

"Welcome," she said, with a twinkle in her eyes, "to Diagon Alley."

\- 000-000-000-000-000-000

"OK, so Gringotts now!" says Mrs. Abernathy cheerfully. "Is there a sign...oh, there we go!"

Gringotts stands before us, tall and imposing. I see Nick's mouth drop and i can't say I'm surprised- Nick loves things that are big, impressive, and alluring, and this is no exception. Kathy and Gia break into excited whispering, pointing at the sheer awesomeness around us. We all break into a trot towards it- well, the younger ones among us do, with the parents bringing up the rear. We enter Gringotts silently, however, showing a certain sense of reverence that simply can't be helped with this place. It just makes you feel so small- the high ceilings, the impressive statues, the obvious wealth displayed in every corner and hole possible. It's probably the epitome of cool for some people- and don't get me wrong, it is- but it makes you feel a bit worthless and quite intimidated.

We pass the entrance hall, the golden plaque with the famous 'Thieving Remorse' poem engraved in it, and then we enter the actual bank.

Goblins are _everywhere_ \- driving little carts with piles of riches in them, weighing precious stones on old fashioned golden scales, sitting on high podiums with enormous files open at their laps, talking to fellow colleagues, discussing taxes- you name it, they got it.

Nick looks as if he has descended into the seventh circle of heaven; his eyes are glazed and Johnny needs to poke him a few times for him to come back to Earth.

"Well, roll out the flipping bridal train, why don't you marry the place?" suggests Johnny jokingly.

"Very funny," he mutters, but his eyes are sparkling beneath his mass of wavy curls.

We reach the goblin at the front. "May I help you?" he inquires raspingly- his voice is a cross between velvet and rough stone and it's oddly creepy and comforting at the same time.

Finally, Nick snaps out of it. "Yes. We would like to enter the Gringotts Division of trade, section Muggle-Wizard. From where should we venture?"

Since when does he speak with such authority? Since when is he confident, much more sure of himself than I had seen him in years, and yet still a bit nervous- as evidenced by his choice of words that are a bit more fancy (for want of a better word). Maybe he wishes to impress the goblins- but to what extent? I don't think I know this time. This place has changed us- and I might be a bit biased, but I'm pretty sure it's for better rather than for worse.

If the goblin is surprised, but for raising a thin eyebrow, he does not show it; he merely calls for yet another goblin (this time one that was polishing a lantern- 'Dáènfvar!') and mutters a string of words in Gobbledook. Dáènfvar nods and says in a funny, high pitched voice "If you'll follow me, please!" Kathy giggles, but hastens to follow as he leads us down a long, winding passage.

"Here we are, Division of Trade, Section Muggle-Wizard, correct?"

"Yes. Thank you," replies Nick.

"You're welcome, sir," is the only reply, and then the small goblin is gone, trotting back through the same passage he took us through.

"The _hell_ was that, bro?" asks Todd quietly.

"What?" he 'asks' evasively.

Todd sighs. We all know it's a lost cause when he takes that tone. "Nothing…"

I roll my eyes and return my attention to the conversation at hand, where Mr. and Mrs. Baker are tormenting the poor goblin on reception.

Half an hour later, my mother is holding an enormous moneybag- all the parents are, actually- and each of us has a vault under our name that we can legally access at the age of 17.

"So what's next?" questions Jackie.

I pull out my list. "This is."

After the apothecary and cauldron shop (absolutely fascinating, although some do not share my sentiments) and Flourish and Blotts (I can't- I just can't even) it's time to do the one thing I have been dreading-robes.

I don't like fashion. Sure, it's alright sometimes, but it doesn't interest me the way it does Kathy, Saph, Gia, Wren (Lauren), Sophie, and- OK, pretty much all the girls in our group, save a select few that are only _partly_ interested in fashion- Jordie, for example. It's one of the reasons I get along with the guys so well. Sure, robes aren't the height of fashion, but they'll be nagging poor Madam Malkin to no end- making it fit better around the chest, arms, or legs, or coloring the trim, or changing the buttons, or whatever the frick it is that's so important when you buy clothes. In my opinion, it's simply ridiculous: I just throw on the first thing that fits and matches and that's good enough for me.

And let me tell you; I was _not_ mistaken.

"What is _this_?" asks Saph in distaste when handed the robes.

"They're the school robes, Saph, remember, I showed them to you already," I say energetically.

"But…" began Saph.

"Is this a joke?" asks Kathy disgustedly.

"Come on, everyone's wearing the same thing, it's not a fashion show! Besides, the black robes aren't always necessary, it's mainly your blouse, the skirt or trousers, the tie, and these shoes," I hiss at them, holding up each item of clothing as I note it. "So if you'll quit whining and let Madam Malkin fit you, that would be great.". I walk into the changing room and put on the robes. I like them, actually- they're comfortable and nice enough, I suppose. Who needs more than that, really?

I step out of the changing room and on to the stool, whereupon I immediately hear every variation of the word 'tsk' possible, as uttered by Madam Malkin, the rest of the girls, and even the mirror in front of me.

"What?" I ask indignantly. "I like it!"

"You would," mutters Gia, folding her arms across her chest.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" (I'll admit, I'm known for my temper. Not like Grace or even Lauren for example- no one is- but it can be easy to get me riled up after I've had a bad day- which this isn't- frankly, I'm just pissed off af some if the girls here who are acting like the spoilt brats they're not).

"Now, now, girls, no fighting please!" chides Madam Malkin (I suppose if the parents were here they would say the same, but they're out to explore the Alley). _Anyways,_ I get fitted for robes, which basically means I get stuck with needles all over and vaguely resemble a porcupine by the time she's done. Around me everyone else is getting fitted as well, and _finally_ we're done with the robes.

"PRAISE THE LORD!" I breathe out once we exit the store.

"Jeez, Jess, I'd think we imprisoned you!" snorts Sophie.

"You're not far off," I reply, and while my friends do laugh, that's not strictly true- but then again, I'm enjoying everything today.

We find our various families gathered around Florean Fortescue's place. The old ice-cream maker is still absolutely lovely, and once we finish our ice-creams, we head to the Magical Menagerie.

"Whoa," breathes out Caroline.

Owls of every shape and size, fluffy cats of all sorts, rats playing jump rope with one another's tails, bats hanging off the ceiling, toads croaking, and some really unique fish that I've never seen before (my father, who works with that kind of thing, just gapes at them for a moment before hurrying closer)- practically every relevant house animal imaginable has been stuffed into this store.

"Oh my," says the shopkeeper- honestly, what is it with everyone being so shocked by us all the time? Are we that scary?- "That's quite a lot of you, isn't it? Well, you'll be starting Hogwarts, won't you?" . We nod as he smiles. "Lovely. So," he says, turning randomly to Maja, who blinks in surprise. "Owl, cat, rat or toad?"

"Owl, please," she replies easily.

"Walk, that way, it's just that section," he instructs her, pointing out said section. Once Maja has walked off, he turns- again, randomly- to Todd, who opts for a cat instead. The shopkeeper directs him to the opposite direction and he trots away happily.

One by one our number dwindles down ever slowly, until finally, I am the only one left.

"Owl, cat, rat or toad?"

"Owl, please," I reply. "If I may? I know the way by now."

"Certainly," he says, and I nod and walk off to the owl section.

Full of perches and high ceilings, the Owlery of this shop is magnificent. Tiny owls, huge owls, some birds that aren't even owls at all, and god-knows what else fills the enormous space- it _has_ to be extended with an Undetectable Extension Charm, because this looks twice as big as the whole of the shop, which is by no means tiny or even medium sized.

I see Maja has already found an owl- a tiny little fluffball with downy feathers and the biggest turquoise eyes I have ever seen in my life. Caroline has gone for a lovely tawny thing with milky chocolate eyes, while Nick has opted for a fierce black one that's twice as big as his head. Jordan has chosen a medium sized golden brown owl, and Jackie has instantaneously reached for a whitish grey thing, and for some reason Jonathan's grey owl has some blue in it (yeeeeah, mental note- should ask him about that later). Oh, and look! Grace has found the loveliest-

Ok, I should really stop staring, people are giving me weird looks and besides, I need to get an owl of my own!

Shaking my head to wave off the curious stares, I start rifling through the cages and peering between the perches. They're all so cute, it's practically impossible, but then-

 _Merlin._

The most gorgeous white owl- or at least I think she's white, but turning her around I find that she turns darker progressively, so that her bottommost feathers are black. She's just the right size and when she opens her eyes they're the clearest sky blue I have ever seen.

Perfect.

After paying for our new pets ( I can't believe I have an _owl-_ what should I name her?) it's time for what is, for me, the most awesome thing about being a witch.

Wands.

We progress to Ollivander's briskly (is the real Ollivander still there, or did someone else take over the shop after the war?), reaching the store rather quickly and pulling the door open hastily by its brass knob. We all file in- when I say all, I mean all, as in like the parents and siblings and all our new stuff (blimey, this is going to be a tight fit)- and wait. However, it isn't long before a ladder comes whooshing our way, bearing the infamous wandmaker.

"By my word, but you must be the Muggleborns!"

"Not this again…" groans Nick quietly.

"How did you know, sir?" asks Jackie politely, shooting Nick a look.

"I recognize everyone's parents because I gave them their first wands," replied Ollivander. "I didn't recognize yours, so I reached that conclusion. Now, if you were so willing to speak up first, would you like to be the first to get a wand?"

"Huh-oh!" she exclaims, realizing his meaning. "Yes, of course!". She gets up then, and Ollivander begins to take measurements. "What is your wand hand, Ms...?"

"Oh- Jackeline Thatcher, sir. And my right hand is."

"Yes, yes…" he murmurs, banishing the measuring tape away with a flick of his wand. "How about...ash and unicorn hair, nine inches. Springy. Just flick it, that'll do…"

She flicked it at a glass ornament on the table, which promptly fell over onto the floor, though it did not break.

"Well then," huffs Ollivander. "The unicorn is obviously working for you, but the ash-" he shudders-"horrendous. Here, I think this will do the trick- cherrywood and unicorn hair, 9 inches, springy as well."

*Oh…" Jack says worriedly, glancing at the fallen ornament. Hesitantly, she waved her wand at it- but instead of breaking, it flew back up and righted itself. "Yes, yes, definitely!" exclaims a smiling Mr. Ollivander. "There you go, that's the wand for you- cherry and unicorn, 9 inches precisely, springy. Now off you go then, back to your seat!"

Jack grins happily and skips back to her seat as requested by the wandmaker. Said wandmaker, however, apparently has other plans that do not include watching her.

"Alright, next please... yes, young man, come on up, please!". Ollivander is pointing at Johnny now, and my interest is peaked- hell, I won't say it to his face (he tends to get rather big headed and arrogant when I do) but he's a Ravenclaw through and through- he's very intelligent, and this means it will definitely be interesting.

"Yes...your name, please?"

"Jonathan Lewis, sir," Johnny replies, looking slightly starstruck and fidgeting- well, who can blame him? It's probably nerve-wracking- imagine if no wand fits you!

"Nice to meet you, young man… now if you don't mind, I will take your measurements now…"

"Sure," he replies, standing perfectly still.

Ollivander is, indeed, taking his measurements now- but instead of letting the tape finish, he grabs it while it's still measuring his nostrils. Glancing at him, he raises one eyebrow. "Oh, _my._ " he says mysteriously. "Please, look to me for a second?"

Johnny looks up, his green eyes cloudy.

"Merlin," Ollivander breathes out.

"Um, sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but what is going on?" asks Johnny confusedly.

"You are precociously intelligent, young man, with extraordinary magical power. I would not be surprised if you get sorted to Ravenclaw at Hogwarts. Extraordinary achievements you'll have, I'm sure of it, and the right wand for that type of power… hmm…"

Ollivander trails off, not that I really noticed. Lucky Johnny, though I suppose it's absolutely brilliant for him, and, well, unsurprising really- oooh, what's that wand he's bringing out?

"Precisely the right wand for you, I think, and the magical qualities of this wood… yes, yes, this should be it," he says, handing said wand to Johnny. "Sapient pearwood, precisely 10 inches, dragon heartstring core. Resilient. Well, go on then!" he admonishes impatiently, as Johnny is staring transfixed at the wand in his hand.

Johnny shakes his head. "Um, yeah, sure," he mumbles, then waves his wand swiftly skyward. A shower of bright blue ice flakes erupts all over, covering him completely, and we have to laugh- he looks ridiculous, covered in the freezing blue ice he created. I chuckle, then get up and go help him out of it.

"Evanesco," mutters Ollivander at the ice chips. "Well, in theory, that would be the best wand for you," says Ollivander with a frown. "But a wand that works against its own owner, however subtly it may be, is never a good sign. I think there's a small change that needs to be made… hand me the wand, please." Jonathan does as he bids and Ollivander goes trotting off into the back of the shop, mumbling to himself as he does. 2 minutes later he is back, however,bearing what looks like the same wand- although maybe the other wand was shorter.

"Exactly the same wand, young man, but just half an inch longer-" (ha, I knew it!)-"so try it now, please."

"OK," says Johnny, smiling as he holds the wand. He waves the wand upwards and again the ice flakes erupt, but gently this time- they float around, swirling together as bidden by the wand, and with a short jab upwards, they merge as one and explode like some deranged freezing firework.

We all applaud and Johnny mock bows, earning a laugh.

"Well, m'boy, that's the wand for you , no doubt about it! You may sit down. Oh, and-" he gestures towards me, as if interested in my name.

"Jessica Silver, sir," I reply.

"Very well then, Ms. Silver, if you were so kind as to help Mr. Lewis here-" (might I just say Saph's looking murderous right now- damn, there'll be hell to pay later if she doesn't forget about it)- " would you like a wand?"

"Yes, sir," I say, containing my inner excitement.

"Alright then, step right up, please!" he says rather cheerfully. I do as he asks me to and the tape starts measuring me in the wierdest places- my chin, the circumference of my eye, the width of my eyebrow, the length of my earlobe, along my elbow- places I was sure you can't even measure. However, like Johnny, he stops the tape while it's apparently in the process of measuring my toes. "Very, very bright…" he mutters. "I do wonder… yes. Try this one please, holly and dragon…"

I wave the wand at the desk. It promptly fell on its side and landed with a deafening crash on the wooden floor.

"Oh dear," tuts Ollivander. "Most definitely not. Well then, maybe this one… mostly I don't use these, but as is the case… veela hair, unicorn, and apple-tree wood. 11 inches… please be careful, it's quite powerful."

"Erm...sure," I say hesitantly. I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous now- what if I destroy his shop or...or something?

(Don't even ask what that something is).

I wave the wand at a shelf behind the recently- upturned desk. It snapped in two and crashed as the desk did.

"No, no, and definitely not," says Ollivander firmly. "Oh, well then… it can't be helped. Please try…"

Over the next 15 minutes, I try a multitude of wands: short wands and long wands, with every core you could dream up and paired up with every type of wood possible and even a few mixtures with several types of cores in one wand or several types of wood. As the pile of wands grew larger, Ollivander just grew happier. "Not to worry!" he proclaimed cheerfully. "You'll find the right one for you- I haven't failed yet and I don't intend to break that record now!". He rustled about in the back of the shop as I grew worried- will I ever find a wand? Maybe they were wrong about me and I don't have magic after all? Is it possible to enter Hogwarts without a wand at all?

Right, stupid question.

A sudden exclamation breaks my thinking trance and I crane my neck to see him behind the mounds of boxes, holding aloft what was unmistakably a wand box.

"What is it, sir?" I ask.

"I forgot about this one," he pants. "This wand… take it, here you go," he says, gesturing towards where he's laid it down on the desk. I take it- and almost instantaneously feel the most amazing feeling possible; a rush of joy and pure power incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't tried it.

"What- what are its' properties?" I gasp.

He raises his eyebrow knowingly. "Sycamore, ash, and vinewood, unless I'm mistaken, with phoenix and dragon as the core. Flexible enough for a hard day's work and yet rigid enough to hold its' ground. 11¼ inches. Now before you begin," he says warningly, as I was about to wave the wand. "Now, I've seen you glancing at that book of mine so many times, I would swear you had something in your eye."

I blush internally (I've never actually blushed a day in my life; make of that what you will). "It just looks interesting," I stammer.

"Well, I'll tell you what- I have a few other copies of that book, and if you manage to levitate that book out with this wand, you get both the wand and the book as a package deal, with the book free of charge. Do we have ourselves a deal?"

"Deal, sir," I say determinedly.

"Well, go on then!" he says merrily.

Focusing my gaze on my target, I block everything else from my gaze. Only the book matters to me now. Taking a deep breath, I raise my wand and swish it through the air.

The book falls out of the high shelf and for several breathless moments I think it might fall, but then it opens up and flaps its covers, soaring into Ollivander's outstretched arms. He turns to me with a faint smile on his lips. "Yes, that is the wand for you. Here, the book, as promised-" he hands me the thick book and I stagger under its' weight (I'm kind of petite). "You may sit down now- and call that young lady over there, I think she'd like to go next."

I sit down happily and poke Jordan in the back. "Go on then Jordie, and close your mouth on the way there, too," I tease. She snaps out of it and sticks her tongue out laughingly, but before I can retaliate, she flounces off. I shake my head and admire my new book and wand. The book is _very_ thick (my favourite kind), with a ridged spine and an aura of ancient knowledge surrounding it. Turning it over, I notice just the thinnest slit just in the shape of a wand. I lay mine in it gently and it immediately suctions against it as glittering words appear: 'Jessica Ivy Silver, 5 minutes in use, sycamore, ash, and vinewood with phoenix and dragon core. Flexible yet rigid enough. 11¼ inches.'

 _Awesome._

The title has long since faded away, but opening the book, an embossed title appears. 'Wandlore and its' Origins: An Unsummarized Summary of All Known Facts About Wandlore'.

I would love to start reading right here and now, but my mother hates it when I do that and she's looking right over, so I settle for examining my new wand instead. It's black, and it looks like it's made out of twisting, intertwined pieces of wood. It has a handle made out of a sleek material I can't really identify, but was the same matte color as the wand. I gripped it tightly and felt the same fierce rush of joy I felt when I first held it- my god, it's like a drug.

I lift my head to see Jordan try the same veela wand I had tried beforehand. Sparks flew out of it and exploded into fireworks and I saw her smile. "Yes, yes, that's for you, you may sit down, and bring on the next one please," says Ollivander. She sits down and gives Gracie a little nudge towards the stool. Gracie gets up with a start and makes for it.

The next hour passes in a blur. Grace (dragon and veela, ash, 11¾ inches), Carol (unicorn and coral, willow, 12 inches), Sophie (dittany stalk and unicorn, hawthorn, 10½ inches), Gia (troll whisker and hawthorn, 9½ inches), Nick (dragon and kelpie, with maple and yew, 11 inches), Todd (holly and dragon-which was the first wand I tried- 12½ inches), Wren- Lauren- (kneazle and dragon, aspen, 13 inches), Saph (unicorn and oleander- I'm rather worried about that pairing- 11⅕ inches), Katherine (dittany stalk and maple, 10 inches), and finally Maja (dragon and alder, 12¼ inches) all go in quick succession.

"So now that we're done with that," says Mrs. Johns, "anything else you'd like to do?"

"Yeah, it's still 12:00, there's still plenty of time," agrees Mr. Johns.

Suddenly, I notice that in front of me, Johnny and Nick are sporting identical grins.

Now, you may not know lots about Jonathan Lewis and Nicholas Brooks, but basic information for you to know- if you see them smiling together in your direction for no apparent reason, I can guarantee you something is not going to end well on your part. Maybe you might say I'm overreacting, but I've been on the receiving end of this treatment plenty of times, and I can tell you I've had plenty of personal experience with this. You can choose whether to believe me. But whatever.

"What did you…" I begin, since as I said, anything that makes them smile like that cannot be good, but the moment I see it, I understand.

"Oh, yeah," laughs Johnny. "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, anyone?"

\- 000-000-000-000-000-000-000-

"This is the empire of pranks, mum," I say earnestly. "So it's kind of huge. We'll split up and meet in 40 minutes outside, does that sound good?"

"Alright," agrees my mother cheerfully. "See you then. Here, take your sister, please, and don't let her buy anything that can raise suspicions. Got it?"

"Yeah, sure, see you later!" I call behind me, as I am already running. "Come on, Shelly!" I tell my sister, and she joins me, giggling. We enter the shop and the sweet smell of a successful prank permeates the air. It's a huge place, built somewhat like how I know the Burrow to look- haphazard but comfy and with an undercurrent of excitement controlling it. I notice some of my girlfriends giggling over the WonderWitch products, including Saph, and I vow to check if she bought a Love Potion- for fairly obvious reasons. I mean, everyone knows that-

"Hey, Jess, you gotta see this!"

Speak of the devil…

Johnny has materialised in front of me and drags me towards sections that are more Hogwarts-relevant. "They have Skyshoes! Lets you climb up on walls and everything, your legs just _stick_ , and you can buy these Gripping Gloves with them! Isn't that so awesome? And there's this Invisipowder, which kind of makes you disappear- if you manage to see it long enough to apply it, of course- and that goes along with the darkness powder, and-"

"Bro, you might wanna breathe," Nick says worriedly as he appears next to him. "You know, that thing with your lungs, it's pretty simple, you'll get the hang of it…"

"Oh, shut up, mister I-want-to-marry-Gringotts-and-have-it-bear-my-children," snaps Johnny at Nick, who has the decency to blush. " _Anyways,_ let's go get this stuff, and then maybe Quality Quidditch Supplies? My mum talked to yours and she allowed you to go as long as we take your sister…"

"Oh sure, awesome! Just let me check something…" I say, the last of my sentence trailing off as I glance reprimandingly at Saph, who doesn't even see me (too busy being giggly and sparkly or whatever the F it is girly girls do, I suppose). I run up the trick steps towards the WonderWitch section, where I am immediately assaulted by a wave of violent pink and a bright, girly, and most importantly, way too fast voice that I can so easily identify.

"Omigod Jess have you seen these they're so awesome and these little things are pygmy puffs and aren't they just the cutest thing ever? I'm so happy I didn't get a pet at the Magical Menagerie because I am _so_ getting a pygmy puff- I was thinking one in pink but like what _shade_ because I was thinking bubblegum but then again there's magenta and I don't know what to choose but I do think that maybe it's best if I just-"

"Sapphire, breathe!" I command, effectively stopping the oncoming storm, no matter how pink and sparkly said storm might be. She shuts up immediately- maybe it's the use of her full given name, which she doesn't really like- and turns a faint shade of pink (I'm beginning to get sick of that color, it's seriously giving me a migraine). "Sorry, Jess," she says sheepishly. "Did you want to say something?"

"Oh, yes," I reply. "Just that if you try to get a Love Potion for Johnny-oh, don't you _dare_ deny it-" I say, raising my eyebrow, as she had opened her mouth. She closes it and turns even pinker-"so yeah, if you buy a love potion, I will personally eviscerate your insides with a spoon. Got it?"

"Yeah," she responds weakly.

"Good," I say, and with a decisive nod, I turn away from her.

After that lovely chat (I think may have come off too strong about it- I wouldn't really eviscerate her insides with a spoon- I'd leave that for Johnny) I pick up some pranking necessities such as Puking Pastilles, Nosebleed Nougats, Portable Swamps- you know, the works. After paying for my new loot I find Johnny and my sister and we run off to QQ (wow, that's actually really fun to say).

However, I think I am now incapable of speech.

This is pure effing _heaven._

The brooms are so totally amazing and I actually spot 2 new brands- Laser and Shot- that weren't real in the 1980's. I flag over a salesperson and he enthusiastically shows us the new broomsticks they have, their leading brands- which appear to be Nimbus, Firebolt, and Laser, as Shot is apparently for families- and asks about or positions on the field. He only gets that far, though, as the rest of the families show up and we excuse ourselves so we can actually breathe.

"So what position _were_ you thinking of playing?" I ask as we stand just off the shop.

"Oh, I dunno…" he says, grinning impishly. "Most people would say I have the build of a Seeker-" he stretches out his arms and I have to agree- he's small, light, and lithe, with the perfect build for it- "but I think I'll go for Beater."

"Beater," I deadpan.

"Yes, Beater. I'm strong enough, though I don't look it- even if not, I can work on that- and in fact…" he pauses, giving me a once-over. "Yeah, I could lift you."

"Well, first off, that's not that hard, you know," I say pointedly. "And second, do you mind if we _don't_ test that theo- hey!" I laugh, because, Jonathan has grabbed me and lifted me up- not all that high, not really, but high enough to make me worried that his arms won't hold up. He spins me quite easily and I shriek and punch him lightly as he sets me down.

We're both still laughing when Sapphire comes in.

"Oh, _crap,_ " I mutter, because I have just realized how bad this can look from another viewer's' point of view. However, this apparently was not the smartest thing to say under these circumstances, because it was all the confirmation she needed.

She started shrieking at us, words I couldn't possibly make out- the random word here and there, but I did manage to figure out a sentence that went somewhere along the lines of 'What the hell is this?' (although she did use words that were slightly, erm, stronger). She rants for around five minutes, but it is only when she pauses for breath that I have the foresight to clap my hand on her mouth, effectively shutting her up. She glares at me but does nothing.

"Sapphire Williams, nothing happened right now, I do not like Jess- no offense-" he adds hastily to me, and I nod- "and she does not like me, but might I ask why you care so much?"

"I don't _care,"_ she mutters.

"Sure you don't," I respond sarcastically. She glares again.

"Well? I'm waiting," prompts Jonathan.

Saph mumbles something unintelligible.

"Sorry, didn't catch that," says Johnny pleasantly.

"I've liked you for around a year now, you oblivious buffoon," she says clearly.

Johnny's pleasant facade drops to reveal one of shock. His jaw drops and hangs somewhere around the region of his navel, as Saph slowly turns redder.

"I should go," she mutters hastily before running back to the shop.

Johnny still appears gobsmacked.

"Um...wanna talk about it?" I ask hesitantly.

His face doesn't bear any recognition of words entering his brain.

"...Johnny?"

No answer.

"Well then, I'm just going to go...anywhere else," I say hurriedly, and with that sense of unfinished finality, I go inside.

I look around at the rest of my friends. No matter what, it had been the most amazing day of my life and I can't wait to go to Hogwarts.

(...now if only Saph and Johnny finish up their convoluted love story, everything will be fine).

 **Sapphire is crazy. Especially when she's jealous. Johnny can testify. And also- you'll get to see a lot more where that came from…**

 **Now, I don't like the ending and I'm not too happy with this chapter right here, but this had to happen cause it plays out in the rest of my story, so bear with me. It's gonna be very dramatic ;-)**

 **Review if you liked it! Ideas, are, as usual, always accepted. PM me if you want, I don't care. Oh, and next up- mindless summer vacation drabbles!**

 **Ciao!**

 **ronk7**


	5. Of Rambles and Lazy Days (Part 1)

**So… I was going to hold out for some reviews, but then I realized that would be totally jerkish of me and that I hate authors who do that (you write for your own enjoyment, not so people will like it!) so I decided against it. However, I would be very flattered if you show support for this FF and this mindset with reviews ;-)**

 **I don't really like this chapter, but I tend to be way too critical about what I post, so tell me your thoughts and ideas! Enjoy!**

Jackeline 

So…

I'm a witch.

A real, living, breathing witch.

...Just imagine what the church would do to me if they found out- is burning at the stake still legal?

(Just kidding, of course- but then again, maybe not, you never know…)

I never really believed in magic. Oh, sure, I'm a huge fan of anything that has to do with it- you name it, I LOVE IT- but I never really believed it could exist. While I'm not the biggest fan of school in general or science and all that stuff (although I think that has to do with the lesson part and not the actual material, because let's be real- most of the time, they don't overlap or have anything to do with the other in general), I'm pretty sure magic circumvents through all laws of physics and science and pretty much all laws of the Muggle-known world as if they weren't even there- and when you think about it, technically, they aren't.

It's quite interesting, though, I suppose- this whole science course magic is definitely much more than interesting- more like bloody fascinating, if you ask me, and I tend to do that because I have a tendency to be rather random in case you didn't notice, and also, unicorns.

(Don't judge me).

It's been hard to come to terms with that: that magic is _real_. I'm one of the lucky people that it's real for. Apparently I'm also intelligent(ish) which is new. See, I've never been really noticed at my elementary school. Oh, sure, I sing (and quite well if I do say so myself) and people notice that, but other than that, no, not really. I'm not popular, I'm not rich, I'm not really pretty (brown-mousey-ish hair that ends just after my shoulder blades, brown eyes that aren't particularly noticeable and are hidden anyways behind square blue glasses) and I'm definitely _not_ skinny.

You can see why my self-esteem wouldn't be through the roof, yeah?

Don't get me wrong, sure, I have my (rather large in comparison) group of close friends, but sometimes that's the only thing that makes me be noticed, and sometimes I want to be noticed at a bigger level. Sometimes I just want to be myself as an individual and not as part of a group, but sometimes, life doesn't really work like that.

But then again, sometimes it does.

I was chosen, and for me that's so totally amazing and such a huge achievement that I can't even begin to comprehend it.

I try, at least. And what can I say? I'm grateful, of course, eternally grateful, but I'm also an overanalyst- what if this goes wrong? What if we're not good enough? And if this goes right? If we're the reason this whole thing ended, finally? Would we be famous? What then?

And so I lay back on my bed, close my eyes, and try to make peace with my thoughts that are swirling away like steam from a runaway train.

 _I'm a witch._

Maja 

"Crap, crap, _crap_!"

Yes, that was the ever-eloquent me.

"I am _so_ late it's not even funny anymore," I mutter to myself. Not that it ever was. I'm _never_ late- I am _so_ getting mocked for this later, I just know it. The group has decided to meet up to go through our new textbooks and get a bit of studying before school (yes, we know- c'mon, wouldn't you want to be a total Harry Potter geek and go to Hogwarts too? Of course we're overexcited) but now it's 10:00 AM and I overslept somehow and I should have been there already.

Well, it can't be helped anymore. Raising my head to the mirror just long enough to check that my hair isn't a _total_ mess (well, it is, but when is it not?), I grab my shoes and skip/hop/skitter down the stairs with on one foot while trying to tie my shoes on the other. Grabbing my food and the heavy bag containing all of my schoolthings, I make a dash for the door and sprint all the way towards Jordan's house , which is where we decided to meet each other. I reach the door and smooth my hair with the palm of my hand, trying not to look as if I just did some mad sprinting through a hurricane as I knock. I hear the usual argument about who will open the door ("You go!"... "Didn't I open it last time?"... "C'mon, it's your turn anyways…") which I get to snigger about, and mere seconds later the door opens to reveal the hostess herself.

"Maja...late? I never thought I'd live to see the day," she said mockingly, but she's grinning, so I'm thinking I'll forgo the regular slap upside the head that we all frequent (as a joke, of course) so much.

"Oh shut up," I snap, but I smile as well so she knows I'm joking. She laughs and tows me up towards her room ("Jeez, Maja, what did you bring? Rocks?").

"Fashionably late, Maja, I see?" enquires Todd with a small little snigger.

"You know it," I say, striking a dramatic pose and making them all laugh. I'm dressed in a ratty t-shirt and track pants with my hair down and (as previously mentioned earlier) decidedly untamed. Let's put it this way- fashionable, I am not.

"Well, you're not as late as Johnny and Nick, so that's something," pipes up Katherine. The resulting groans could wake a sleeping elephant.

The thing about Johnny and Nick is that they are _always_ late. No matter what- if they come individually, fine, they won't be, but if they're the ones to make arrangements about getting there together then you ain't seeing them until at _least_ twenty minutes before the prearranged time that was set. What can I say- time management just isn't their strong suit.

"Yeah, we should just tell them they should be here about an hour earlier than whatever time we set just so they'll actually be here on time," continues Jordan, making me laugh.

"Well, you know," I say between giggles, "maybe that's not quite a bad idea."

"Well, we're here now, so does it really matter?" asks a voice behind me. I spin around to see- "Nick!"

"Maja!" he mocks.

I laugh and hug him. I don't really know why, but we're probably the closest pair in this group. We've always been (not in a romantic way, though- just thinking about it makes me wants to puke). He laughs as well and hugs me back.

Still chortling, I bump fists with Johnny, who has also arrived, and then sit back down and grab for my bag, pulling out parchment, ink, quills, and etcetera. Beside me, the rest of them are doing the same.

"Oooh, let's summarize these spells," suggests Caroline, pointing at a page in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One.

"Sure," I say, and flip open my book. Dipping my quill into the inkwell, I poise it over my parchment and start to write, and as I do, I begin to fall into a certain rhythm, a practiced sort of ease that we have all mastered, losing myself in an imaginary world that might not be so imaginary after all.

 **So these are going to be** _ **so**_ **rambling-y and fluffy that you might as well be sitting in cotton candy. However, I did mention that that is what's going to happen for the next few chapters because I want to squeeze in all the characters so you can...meet them? Kind of? I don't know if that's possible, but if it is, then I would love for that to happen!**

 **So give me your thoughts and ideas, see you next time!**

 **ronk7**


	6. Of Rambles and Lazy Days (Part 2)

**I'M ON VACATION! Well, I was when I started writing this. Not anymore. Tee means I get to write more, so here ya go: another chapter for you! Hope you like it, and please R &R! Oh, and I think I might like this chapter more for some absurd reason even if it's fluffy AF. Now enjoy! **

**Caroline**

"Hi! Nice to meet you. I'm Caroline."

Ugh.

Hate that sentence.

Mainly because I've had to repeat it around 15 times already in the last 60 seconds, but then again, who's counting?

Oh, that's right! I am!

Damn it.

I wish I could be anywhere but here right now- at Maja's, or Todd's, or maybe Lauren's, perhaps Johnny's- or basically anywhere that isn't hell.

And why do I not want to enter hell? (Well, besides obvious reasons).

Because you can't enter a place you're already in!

Yay! Realization of the century, ten points to me. What fun!

(Not).

My parents are hosting a fancy dinner party and of course that means I have to be there to greet everyone. How that helps anyone is a great question, however, since _it has no answer_. I cannot stand doing this; dressing in fancy dresses that itch way too much and doing your hair in an uncomfortable fancy updo to please other people. Honestly, why do grown ups do this to themselves? Sitting around a fancy (read: ugly) table wearing hideously disfigured and scratchy clothes with people they don't really like making small (see: unimportant and irrelevant) talk all night while pretending you're fancy and sophisticated, when really, we're all human?

 _Honestly._

Don't get me wrong- looking nice is fine and everything, and I love to, but I do it so I can feel good about myself, and not so for other people whom I don't really care about and may or may not be in fact terrible people, but apparently they're very important so who freaking cares about my opinion, amiright?

See, this is why I want to go to Hogwarts. I mean, who cares about sophistication when you know Charms, or are a Transfiguration whiz, or whatever else that doesn't involve sitting around and being generally and irrevocably stupid?

I would much rather be drawing in my room right now (yeah, that's my 'thing', I suppose- I'm an artist), and I would do that if I could, and not only for my peace of mind but rather for the safety of everyone else here- I'm about _this_ close to scratching someone's eyes out.

"So Caroline, what school do you go to?" asks another guest, one I dimly recognize but strangely can't really place my finger on.

"I go to a secretive private boarding school in Scotland," I reply heavily, poking at my food. This apparently did nothing to dissuade her from a very important course that she had set upon,which mainly includes annoying me.

"Oh, really?" she asks enthusiastically. "And what is it you learn there?"

Didn't I _just_ say secretive?

I sigh.

This is going to be a _long_ night.

Todd 

I am now going to say something I never thought that I would ever say:

"Why is the summer vacation so _long_?"

I groan and smack my head against the door of my wardrobe. Rubbing my forehead against the base of my palm, I glance warily around my room. It has always been small(ish), but cozy: bright furniture, warm colors to contrast with light blue walls, a carpeted floor. I've always liked it and it's usually a place for me to find solace in, some form of comfort- but now it's practically become a prison for me. It is so hard to wait at home for nothing but September 1st, watching the minutes tick by as if taunting me, laughing- 12:01...12:02...12:03...12:04...12:05…

Screw it.

I huff angrily at no one in particular and flop back on my bed. It is August 20th, and there are still 11 days to go. I should know- I've been marking the days ever since the announcement- but it's not enough. I just want to be there already- is that truly too much to ask?

Apparently, yes.

Before Minerva McGonagall randomly appeared before us, I was just _not_ a fan of the Harry Potter series. Wait, no, scratch that- I could not _stand_ them. I hated Harry Potter and I hated anything and everything to do with him. It might have been a bit of a sore spot that we liked to pick at every once in awhile, but we got over it. We respect each other, if nothing else, because everyone has a different opinion and all that. But after all that happened, I became one of the biggest fans possible. I needed it in my life like I needed air to breathe, and I suddenly understood other people's point of view in regards to the series. It became my life, my reason to wake up in the morning, to repeat the same routine over and over again.

And I'm still not at Hogwarts yet.

How did Johnny deal with it every day after he finished the series? How did Caroline deal knowing that she could never go there because it didn't really exist? And how is Jess dealing now, knowing that Hogwarts is just mere days away?

Maybe I should ask her. Struck with sudden inspiration, I grab my phone and dial her number in. She responds on the first ring, by which I gather that she, too, is going insane with boredom.

"How did you ever manage?" I yell dramatically into the phone (well, I _am_ a drama nerd).

Jess snorts. "Jeez, bro, way to take my ear off."

"Yes, yes, I'm very sorry, OK, fine, but how did you ever deal with it?"

"With what?"

I nearly scream in frustration. Is she being stupid on purpose or something? "What do you mean, with what?" I screech. My lazy cat actually lifts his head in my direction, before apparently deciding it's not worth it. "With the anticipation of going to Hogwarts!"

Silence.

And then, the unexpected happens.

She begins to _laugh._

"What's so funny?" I demand as I hear her gasping for air.

"That's why- _oh my god-"._ It is clear that a coherent answer is something I'm not going to be getting in a while.

" _What?!"_

" _That's why- that's why you called?"_

"Well, yeah!" I say defensively. I think I'm missing something here. "Why is that so freaking hilarious?"

"No, it's just that-". She stops for a second, takes a deep breath. "If there was one person with whom I never expected to have this conversation, it's you."

 _Oh._

I...I think I can see the irony in that.

"Are you... _laughing?"_

I hear Jess ask suspiciously.

"No," I snort between giggles.

There's a pregnant pause of doubt on the line, before suddenly we burst out laughing. I don't even why it's so funny anymore, but hey, who cares? Nothing wrong with laughing a little.

 _So maybe this is the way to deal with it,_ I think as tears stream out of my eyes and I flop back, gasping for air. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

 **Aaaand...scene.**

 **So Caroline tends to get really sarcastic when she's annoyed or nervous, but she's one of my favourite characters either way. Same goes for Todd only with** **drama cause he loves performing. They'll have big roles in this story (wink wink).**

 **Badoom-tss.**

 **OK,** _ **ANYWAYS,**_ **I hope you enjoyed this chapter even if it was fluff. Next chapter, there's even more. I think I'm gonna give you diabetes with all of this soon. K, bye!**

 **ronk7**


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